


go ahead and cry, little boy

by orphan_account



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-24 02:02:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18160031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: the hargreeves brothers bond over losses(except not luther bc the moon doesnt count)





	go ahead and cry, little boy

five was drunk. terribly so, in fact. more than his thirteen year old body could tolerate. not as much as he'd like to be. he racked his brain for someone who might know how to handle a situation like this, and thus he ended up in the last place he'd like to be.

 

"baby brother!" the door swung open to a grinning klaus, who was met only with five's grumbling as he shoved himself past his older/younger brother and into klaus' room.

 

"im fifty eight." he reminded him yet again and crumpled down to the floor.

 

"are you drunk?" klaus' brows furrowed as he crouched down to five's position on the ground. he shut his eyes to avoid the gaze of his brother, who took a sharp inhale and winced at the stench of booze. "nevermind, you are."

 

"observant." he scoffed, lifting his arm to take a swig from the now empty bottle. he sighed and tossed it on the ground with a limp hand, letting it roll across the room.

 

klaus seemed conflicted on how to handle the situation and rolled on his heels, which only caused him to tumble to the ground with a yelp. "...so...what's wrong?"

 

"does there have to be something wrong? is there always something wrong when you drink?" five narrowed his eyes with a huff and regained some of his posture.

 

"yeah, usually. but you wouldn't be here unless something was wrong."

 

five took a long pause and ignored the implications of klaus' (correct) assumption. "...it's dolores."

 

klaus opened his mouth to speak, closed it again, opened it again...five thought he looked like a fish. he laughed under his breath at the idea and ran a shaky hand through his hair. "is, uh, _she..._ alright?"

 

"yes, yes, she's quite alright." five hung his head with a chuckle and ignored the lump in his throat. "im...without her."

 

klaus' mouth formed an 'o' and he flopped onto the floor beside him. five watched as he toyed with the dog tags around his neck. "at least _you_ can get piss drunk about it."

 

"you mean...?" five had assumed some things about klaus' time in the war, but he hadn't expected he would fall in love. then again, neither did klaus. "and you're sober?"

 

"yeah." he sighed and stared at the ceiling. five looked askance, unaware how to continue the conversation. "two days and counting! god save the children!"

 

"what was his name?" he asked and hunched over himself to rest his head on his arms, crossed over his pulled up knees. he thought back to when klaus had told him about a past relationship, with a man. he knew his guess was correct when klaus smiled softly, appreciatively.

 

"dave." he peered thoughtfully up at his brother. "i would've stayed there for him. a lifetime."

 

"a lifetime doesn't feel like one when youre living it." his fists tightened as his mind wandered to dolores once again. "i should've savored it."

 

"it went by so fast i..." klaus trailed off and balled his hands in his shirt, clutching the dog tags like they'd bring him back if he squeezed tight enough. "...and i didn't want to...to _kill_ people."

 

a moment of silence, for the dead, for themselves. his eyes scrunched up and the lump in five's throat diminished as he covered a sob with his hand. a weak laugh to play it off, a concerned look from his brother, a shaky breath of acknowledgement. "me either."

 

"y'know, brother dearest, we weren't exactly close but...i missed you." he laughed. "when i was sober enough to miss anyone."

 

five simply nodded, shook off his startled expression. he looked to the side, and his response was left unsaid. klaus smiled, though, and five knew he understood. "if dave was anything like dolores...he must've made you really happy."

 

"he did." klaus grinned and let out a thoughtful sigh. "he does."

 

"right. you can see him." five scowled and tugged a flask out of his jacket pocket.

 

"not yet." klaus' grin quickly fell. "...im working on it."

 

a beat. "so...dolores."

 

five quirked a brow through sips from the flask. he let his hand fall to the ground as he leaned his head back against the wall. he shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut, blinking away the tears pricking his eyes. "she was...extraordinary. she was...gentle, when she wanted to be, and witty and remarkable and...perfect. in every sense of the word. and...and i miss her. i mis- i've made a mistake. im going back."

 

five stood up and stumbled to the door, ready to make a run for it if need be.

 

"five, no!" klaus gripped at his jacket as he fought him off, powers dulled by his intoxication. "you're drunk, you let her go for a reason! come back!"

 

"get off me! fuck off! i have to get back to her- i need- _she needs_ _me-"_

 

_"_ _diego! help!"_

 

footsteps came pounding down the hall and the door was thrown open, diego in the doorway with knives bared. _"get off my broth-_ oh."

 

"i said help!" klaus struggled to contain five as he slurred cusses and managed a few good kicks.

 

"shit- okay-" diego rushed over to help him settle five down, gripping him by the shoulders as he thrashed around.

 

_"let me go! i have to get back to her!"_ five pounded his fists desperately, feeling for all the world like a child throwing a temper tantrum. he supposed he was.

 

"five, stop." diego winced and shut his eyes with a shaky breath as his grip weakened. slowly, he shook five's shoulders until he looked at him. "is this what she would want?"

 

five's body shook and shuddered with sobs, and klaus pulled him closer, this time out of affection rather than restraint. "hey, hey, shh..."

 

diego hesitated, and awkwardly wrapped his arms around the two of them as klaus tugged his arms closer, the three settling into comfort. "i lost my dolores." he whispered.

 

"the detective." klaus murmured, face buried in five's shoulder. "she was brave."

 

diego laughed as tears welled up and blurred his vision. "patch and mom."

 

klaus' voice was hushed and broken. "and ben."

 

the man in question was sitting on the bed, watching them huddle together and ignoring the envy pushing its way up. the ability to hug his siblings. the ability to be seen. but klaus recognized him. "im here, klaus. im still here."

 

"i know you are." he replied with a smile. "but you know what i mean."

 

"is he here?" diego's eyes widened as he pulled away for a moment, scanning the room as if he too would see ben.

 

"yeah." klaus whispered, and ben waved to a man who couldn't see him. who probably never would.

 

"...ben." five's shaking had nearly stopped, and he curled further into klaus like a scared child. "i didn't get to say goodbye."

 

"you didn't say goodbye to any of us." diego replied, slight agitation evident.

 

"you're not dead." five snapped. his voice was soft again when he spoke to klaus. "can he hear me?"

 

klaus turned to ben, who gave him a thumbs up and a shrug. "yeah, he can."

 

"you were one of the most tolerable." five spoke to the open air. "thank you for that. i read about what happened, in vanya's book. i should've been there. im sorry."

 

an apology out of five was a rare occurrence, and ben nearly choked. he blamed the honesty on the drunkeness of his brother, but sat next to klaus on the ground nevertheless. "...thanks, five. i missed you too."

 

klaus laughed softly and recounted the message to five. "that's not what i said!"

 

"that's what you meant." ben grinned. klaus let out a sharp laugh and repeated that, too. five scoffed and rolled his eyes, but a ghost of a smile was seen on his lips.

 

"get in here, brother o' mine!" klaus joked, miming pulling ben into the hug. ben laughed and obliged, moved with him. strong cold arms, embracing all of them. everyone froze at once.

 

"oh my- _oh my_ _god!"_ klaus squealed, shocked, and nearly knocked ben over.

 

diego's eyes remained glued on his brother, jaw hanging open. "you're so old now..."

 

"yeah? is that a grey hair i see, diego?" ben teased, and diego beamed at the sound of his voice.

 

"ben..." five's eyes were wide, thin tears slipping out against his will.

 

"five...?" ben prompted him, and five lunged forward to examine him, check he was really there, that he wasn't still going crazy. five sat there for a moment, unblinking, wary, and ben knew what he was asking for without his having to ask it.

 

ben wrapped his arms around his younger (older?) brother. klaus and diego formed the group hug again, around them, five in the center like a cocoon. he couldnt help but miss the feeling of dolores in his arms and wished she could be there to experience it with him.

 

"you're gonna be alright, five. all of us. we're gonna be just fine."


End file.
